


Shape Of You

by Ellstra



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Power Bottom Kylo Ren, service top hux
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2019-03-09 01:30:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13470858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellstra/pseuds/Ellstra
Summary: Hux hates parties - the music is too loud, the people are too handsy and his drink is always gone too soon. And now this infuriatingly hot stranger blocks his way from the bar. Hux resolves to be bold - and accepts this man's offer to buy him a drink.





	Shape Of You

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is not only named after the Ed Sheeran song but was also inspired by it.

Hux took a sip of his mojito and learned, to his horror, that he’d downed it again. This was his second already, and he’d barely arrived at the club. It had been long enough for Phasma to abandon him and move to the dance floor to prove some guys wrong about their dancing abilities, but still. He had no idea why he still hung out with Phasma — he didn’t even like her, and she took any chance she got to insult himt. Somehow she was still the only person willing to meet him after work, so he couldn’t be too picky. 

He made his way towards the bar, dodging sweaty bodies, high heels threatening to crush his feet, and bright red drinks held precariously in shaky hands.  _ This place is a nightmare _ , Hux thought grimly. 

“Come on, it’ll be fun. Maybe you’ll finally get laid and stop being so uptight and fussy,” Phasma had said, drowning Hux’s protests to her choice of program. Hux couldn’t fathom why she, someone who claimed sex was dangerous and dirty, was so obsessed with his (non-existent) love life, or considered him to be in need of getting laid, but here they were. 

Hux reached the bar after very nearly avoiding a collision with some girl who’d clearly had enough. Clutching his glass so tightly he was surprised it didn’t break, he was about to lean on the countertop to separate himself from the sea of sweaty bodies — at least on one side. At the same time, a huge guy (Hux’s type) all but sprawled over it, a bunch of his friends laughing at something he’d said surrounding him like a swarm of dumb muscular bees. Hux’s patience was running thin.

“Let me through,” he muttered, trying to shove the guy away. When nothing happened, he spoke louder. 

“Hey, asshole, move away.” 

The guy stopped talking and turned his head towards Hux. “Excuse me?” 

Hux had to stop himself from sighing. That voice was doing things to him.

“You’re blocking the way to the bar. I know it makes you feel better about yourself but I’d like to order,” Hux explained, patiently, like he hadn’t just insulted the guy.

“What’s stopping you?” To Hux’s annoyance, and, frankly, surprise, the guy spread even more over the countertop. His shirt protested against such treatment, and Hux wondered if it was a strategy meant to release one of the buttons struggling to hold on and shoot it right between Hux’s eyes. 

“Your body, which is really not as impressive as you probably think,” Hux lied.

“How about I order you a drink. What do you want?” He eyed Hux without so much as hiding his staring. “Sex on the beach?”

“I can order my own drinks, thank you very much,” Hux muttered. The glass in his hand had gotten warm from how long he’d been holding it.

“Please, allow me,” the man said, rearranging his face into a slight smile.

“Why?”

“You’d save, what, five bucks?” He gave a nonchalant shrug, like that was the question Hux had asked.

“I know that, I passed several years of Maths. Why would you want to buy me a drink?” Hux asked. Then, because someone behind him giggled, and because the guy looked young and wealthy and like he hadn’t sown all his wild oats yet, Hux added, “I’m not a prostitute.” 

He regretted the words the second they left his mouth. They earned him a grin, a broad one, full of crooked teeth, and it shouldn’t have been as endearing as it was.

“I like you. I like guys with balls, and not many people of your size would dare call me an asshole.”

“A lot of guys have balls, you know,” Hux pointed out, “maybe you’d get to see it for yourself if you remembered to compliment them instead of yourself.”

“Please let me buy you a drink,” the guy exclaimed and pouted. He actually looked adorable. 

Hux had nothing to lose. He could either suffer and drink a week’s worth of salary away, or he could let a hot stranger buy him a drink. It was purely economical. 

“You look like you might start crying if I deny you the opportunity,” he said. “Fine.”

“What will it be?” 

“First, a spot by the bar,” Hux said, tilting his head slightly to point at the guy’s arm on the counter. “And then I’ll let you guess.”

His companion turned to the side, still posing like an underwear model, but at least he left some space for Hux to lean onto the bar too. Not a lot of space, if Hux were honest. If he wanted, he could brush his hand against the guy’s chest. He  _ did _ want to do that, very badly.

“Will you tell me your name at least?” 

“What do you think?” Hux raised his eyebrows.

“I think you really want to but you like making me conquer you.”

“Oh my god,” Hux laughed, “I’m not a fortress.”

“No, but you’re the princess hidden inside one by an evil dragon.”

“What if  _ I  _ am the dragon?”

“Then I guess I’ll have to kill the princess and run off with you,” the guy said and shrugged.

“Hux. My name’s Hux.”

“I’m Kylo.” The man offered Hux a huge hand, which was no small feat considering how little space was between them. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you.” Hux took the hand and shook it. It was warm, and Kylo’s hold was firm just enough to be heartfelt but not oppressive. The sleeve of his shirt slipped a little up his forearm and Hux could see a hint of ink. Tattoos. This man was the living embodiment of Hux’s wet dreams.

“Now, what do you like to drink? Something sweet, I bet, but you wouldn’t want to admit it. Something a little tart, something in which you don’t feel the alcohol but it’s there,” Kylo deduced, brow furrowed. “A mojito.”

“Now that is impressive,” Hux nodded, “especially considering I’m holding a glass full of mint leaves and lime slices.”

“What can I say, I’m a genius.” Kylo shrugged, motioning to the barkeep. Hux watched his neck stretch, the faintest hint of ink visible under his shirt. Fuck, he wanted to see this guy undressed. 

“So, what brings you in?” Kylo asked when he turned back to Hux. “No offense, but you look like you accidentally ate some of the limes from your mojito. And you can let go of your glass now.”

“I’m keeping it in case I decide you’re annoying me and want to hit you with it.”

“Fair enough.” Kylo nodded.

“My co-worker dragged me here and left me to make some guys cry,” Hux said.

“In pleasure?” 

“Hell, no. She’ll break their arms if she has to. She’s savage.”

“So you’re not a fan of parties, huh? That’s so stereotypical.”

“Is it now?” Hux raised an eyebrow. “Because it wasn’t when I was a teenager.”

“Was that a long time ago?” Kylo grinned.

“Do I look old?”

“You talk old.”

“Is that a bad thing?” 

“Yes,” Kylo nodded. The barkeep brought two glasses to them, a mojito for Hux — he wasn’t sure Kylo would actually order it for him — and what Hux assumed was Cuba Libre for Kylo. Hux exchanged his empty glass for the full one. “Tell you what, we’ll drink this and then we’ll dance.”

“No.”

“Are you a grandpa now?” 

“I’m nowhere near drunk enough to dance. Not even with you.” The slip up was a proof that Hux was almost drunk enough, and Kylo smiled.    
“You still have a whole mojito to go through,” Kylo pointed out, “and the night’s still young.”

“It’s almost midnight,” Hux remarked. 

“Yeah, as I said, it’s really early.”

“Do you not have a job?” Hux asked. Kylo seemed genuinely convinced that midnight was early. 

“I do, in fact. I just look like a rowdy,” Kylo replied. 

“I didn’t say that,” Hux defended himself, as if it was true.

“But you thought it. Come on, I know you noticed my tattoos. You’re wondering if my nipples are pierced,” Kylo said, his voice completely flat. Hux’s eyes widened and he could feel his face heat up. 

“I wasn’t—“ he started, unable to finish the sentence.

“But you are now, aren’t you?” Kylo grinned.

Hux didn’t think it was necessary to reply verbally when his body was very eager to let Kylo know. He slurped too much of his drink at once; his teeth stung. Kylo was watching him intently. 

“You know, if we dance, you could find out,” Kylo teased. 

“Or I could just…” Hux said and reached his hand towards Kylo’s chest, letting it linger right above it. 

“Aren’t you a clever weasel.”

“Excuse you, I am a fox,” Hux remarked with a stern expression. He laid his hand on the side of Kylo’s neck and pulled his collar aside. 

“Are those flames?” Hux asked. He could see the ink grow in intensity under Kylo’s collarbones, but he didn’t dare pull the shirt away more. 

“You could just ask me to take my shirt off,” Kylo remarked. 

“I prefer being subtle,” Hux informed him. Their conversation was anything but subtle, but Hux didn’t have the mental capacity to care. 

“Yes, they’re flames. The tattoo is a lot more complicated though.”

“Are you trying to sell your tattoo?”

“I’m trying to sell myself.”

“Oh come on,” Hux scoffed and pulled away. He drank more of his mojito and found out he was yet again slurping the water from the melted ice cubes.  _ Bloody things,  _ Hux thought,  _ they’re gone before you even start drinking them.  _

“You’re an incredibly fast drinker,” Kylo pointed out.

“I thought you wanted to dance.”

“Now that’s the enthusiasm that I expected from the beginning.” Kylo downed his drink — Hux watched his neck work — and slammed the glass hard onto the counter. 

“Let’s dance,” he said and offered his hand to Hux, who took it.

Hux’s head was spinning just enough to turn even walking into an adventure, and his ears and face were on fire. Somehow Kylo still found him desirable enough to buy him a drink, and that was intoxicating on its own. 

Kylo dragged him to the dance floor and when he found a place he liked, he stopped. Hux stood for a while, uncertain what to do. Kylo grabbed his other hand and began moving to the rhythm of the noise surrounding them that resembled a panic attack more than anything else. Hux moved with him, the alcohol in his veins telling him what to do. Soon enough, it stopped feeling awkward. Kylo never let go of him, even if, as Hux noticed, nobody else was holding hands. He caught a glimpse of Phasma’s blonde undercut. Maybe he should have let her teach him a thing or two about dancing when she offered it. 

He caught Kylo’s gaze and, feeling suddenly bold, moved their joined hands onto his lower back, bringing their bodies barely apart. He let go of Kylo’s hands and wrapped his arms around his neck. Kylo smiled and slipped his fingers into the back pockets of Hux’s jeans. 

Hux pressed himself against Kylo. They were both sweating now, and Hux was slowly getting excited from their proximity. They were swaying rather than dancing, moving in an intricate tangle of something that, as Hux was growing more and more certain, would eventually turn into foreplay. 

“Let’s get something to drink,” Kylo suggested after one particularly obnoxious song. 

“Okay,” Hux agreed. He took Kylo’s hand again and they headed towards the bar. When they leaned against it, their hips were touching. 

“I’m paying this time,” Hux said, reaching into his pocket for some crumpled banknotes. 

“I’d better get something expensive, huh.”

“You can try,” Hux replied and showed Kylo the money. 

“Coke it is,” Kylo nodded. 

“Wait, you’re not drinking?” 

“I’m driving,” Kylo shrugged. 

“Are you trying to get me drunk?” 

“Do I have to?” 

They looked at each other for a brief moment, and in the next Kylo was licking Hux’s bottom lip, trying to sneak his tongue inside Hux’s mouth. Hux wrapped one arm around Kylo’s waist, pulling him closer; Kylo’s fingers were hot on his ass again. When they pulled away a breathless moment later, Kylo’s eyes were wide and dark. 

“You know what? Let’s get some fresh air,” Hux said. 

“Now that’s a good idea.”

“Just hold on a second, I have to tell my co-worker not to wait for me.”

“We’re not coming back?”

“Are we?” Hux asked, wondering if he was being too straightforward. 

“We’re not.”

“Good. Wait for me here, I’ll be back in a second.”

Reaching Phasma turned out to be more difficult than he’d anticipated. There was a circle of people around her along with some guy, and the crowds were cheering — although for what, Hux wasn’t sure. He tried to make his way through but it was impossible. He pulled out his phone and texted her instead.

“I was almost worried you abandoned me,” Kylo said when Hux finally reached him. 

“She has better things to do than talk to me,” Hux shrugged. “Shall we?”

They escaped the bar together. Hux breathed in the fresh air. He realized only now, out in the cold, just how sweaty he was. 

Kylo’s car was a small thing, so disproportionate to Hux’s idea of it that he laughed. 

“Don’t insult my car.”

“I’m not insulting it, it’s just so… not what I expected.”

“I left my limousine at home, it’s a bitch to park,” Kylo replied when they sat down. Hux rewarded it with a chuckle. They drove quietly, and Kylo’s hand slipped onto Hux’s thigh. It was extremely cheesy; Hux hated himself for being thrilled by it. 

Kylo stopped the car on a very nice street. A street where soccer moms and managers lived with two kids and a golden retriever. Kylo didn’t fit there. 

“You know, you never told me what job you have,” Hux said. 

“You think this neighborhood is too fancy for me.”

“No,” Hux shook his head, “too heterosexual.”

Kylo laughed. “Yeah, you’re right. I sort of inherited the place. I don’t like the neighbors but the house is quite neat.”

Hux recognized Kylo’s house before they reached it. The picket fence was painted black, which Hux found hilarious, there was a single tree that grew as it pleased, and the lawn was the ambiguous length between mown and too long. There was no wannabe funny sign from Target announcing what kind of dog lived in the house, and there was a box that seemed to have originally been intended for lunches stuck to the fence with ‘POST’ scribbled on it as if in a hurry. 

“I like your mailbox,” Hux pointed out, “very hip.”

“Thanks. My neighbors don’t really appreciate it.”

“Your neighbors are dumb.”

“You’re completely right.”

“Oh my god, is there seriously a neighborhood watch?” Hux asked, watching the signs stuck to lamp posts. 

“Don’t yell or you’ll alert them.”

“Will they arrest me?” 

“This time of the night, drunk? You’re as good as locked up,” Kylo laughed. 

“Oh no. Guess you’ll have to hide me in your house to keep me safe.”

“Looks like it.” Kylo nodded, unlocking the front door. He let Hux go through first, following him. The inside of the house looked even more non-conforming than the outside. It looked simultaneously too full and like someone had just moved in: there were boxes lying around, labeled with cryptic letters and spattered with red-brown blotches. Hux tried to suppress his worry that he was going to be murdered soon. 

“Sorry for the mess,” Kylo said, “the previous owners still haven’t picked up all of their stuff.”

“You mean these boxes with body parts?” slipped out of Hux’s mouth before he could stop it. 

“And those with the murder weapons. And the drugs. It’s kinda annoying,” Kylo replied, and Hux wasn’t sure if he was joking. “Come on, let’s get something to drink.”

Kylo led the way through an almost empty living room — there was a TV standing on a low cabinet, but there were several objects lying in front of it and Hux doubted that it had ever been used. A pitiful old chair sat in the corner and it contrasted so starkly with the otherwise modern interior that it must have been of emotional value. The walls were painted a dull shade of orange, the colour usually found in schools or public buildings, and some effort was exhibited in trying to give them some personality with a bunch of posters, but it was a quite mismatched bunch: Star Wars and Grease, AC/DC and Ariana Grande. Hux supposed those too belonged to the previous owners, although why they were still up was beyond him.

“Upstairs is a lot nicer, I promise,” Kylo said upon entering the kitchen. 

Hux understood why it needed to be prefaced in such a way — although it wasn’t exactly dirty, it was far from clean. There weren’t dishes just lying around, admittedly, but the furniture was old and had seen better times. The paint was peeling off some of the cabinets and the interstices between the tiles would benefit from a meeting with detergent. 

“Who did you inherit this place from?” Hux inquired while Kylo stared into the fridge. 

“A guy,” Kylo replied. Hux knew there was much more to this but he didn’t think it was his place to ask. 

“Are you going to keep it?” Hux wished he could stop questioning Kylo - he was there to have sex, not learn about Kylo’s personal life. He didn’t care about Kylo’s personal life — except he kind of did. The house was enormous and while it had apparently been some time since someone bought the furniture, the construction itself didn’t seem damaged at all. It was not a house for just one person — the logical thing for Kylo to do would be selling it and spending the money on… What exactly would Kylo spend his money on?

“Not sure yet. First I have to make my siblings take their stuff and leave,” Kylo replied and pushed the door of the fridge closed with his elbow, holding a tray of cheese in one hand, a bottle of beer in the other. 

“Oh, your siblings,” Hux replied, feeling dumb. He eyed the cheese in Kylo’s hand and wished he could eat it; some of his favourite kinds were on it. 

“Yeah.” Kylo placed the tray and beer on the table — Hux pretended he didn’t notice him sweep some breadcrumbs onto the ground — and turned to the cabinet. “They’re not my real siblings but they’re more of a family than my wretched parents ever were.”

That Hux could understand. While he had yet to find a proper family that involved human beings, he didn’t have to inquire what Kylo meant by wretched parents. As far as Hux knew, all parents were wretched at best, which was one of the reasons for his conviction to never become one. 

“What do you want? I’d offer you a mojito but I’m afraid I’m out of mint,” Kylo asked, changing the subject, although Hux didn’t feel like it was on purpose — more like an attempt to be a good host without much experience in the field. 

“I think I’ve had enough.” Hux shook his head. “Besides, there’s no reason for me to drink to block out the omnipresent noise and heat now. I’ll take some water though, please.”

“Of course.” Kylo smiled and reached for a glass — an IKEA one, Hux noted, he had the same set. 

Hux sat down gingerly, hoping Kylo would warn him if one of the mismatched chairs were to give way under him. It didn’t, so he leaned against the backrest. There were four chairs around the table, all wooden, and they seemed to be the same make but different colours. Hux wondered if they were painted only after being purchased. 

“I’d offer you some food but I’m afraid I don’t have much beyond the cheese,” Kylo apologized, “unless you’d like some cornflakes or a cucumber. There’s also some mustard in the fridge but I think it’s been there for a while, only Jill eats it and she’s been in South America for months now. 

“I’m good, thank you,” Hux said, “I ate quite a bit in anticipation of the attack on my stomach that this night would be.”

“Pragmatic.” Kylo nodded appreciatively. Hux felt unreasonably proud of himself. Kylo handed him a the glass and sat down onto another chair,this one black with red bits all over. It suited Kylo somehow.

“Did you paint these chairs yourselves?” Hux asked, supposing it was an innocent enough question that could still gain him some information on Kylo’s mysterious siblings. 

“Yeah. They were here with the other old furniture and they really needed painting, and we thought: ‘Hey, if we’re doing this, let’s make it fun.’” 

“And that one’s yours.” Hux pointed to the chair Kylo was sitting on. 

“Yeah. It seems like I’m quite predictable.” Kylo shrugged.

“I still don’t know what kind of job you have?” Hux offered. 

“What do you think?” Kylo asked and leaned back a little in his chair, resting his forearms on the backrest. His shirt opened a little again and Hux saw hints of the ink covering Kylo’s chest. Well. Was that a clue? Or just an attempt to distract him? If it was the latter, it was definitely successful. 

“The first time I saw you, I’d say something illegal, or at least not requiring much thinking. You put quite some effort into appearing dumb — but you’re not, are you?” Hux asked, furrowing his brow. “You have a giant tattoo — which I’m still terribly curious to see by the way — but your hands and neck are clean, which means you’re at least a little restrained about it. You have a respectable job and even though you don’t play exactly by the rules, you’re brilliant at it and prove people wrong. Just like you did me.”

“That is the most thoughtful thing anyone’s ever said about me,” Kylo mumbled and for a while Hux was afraid he was going to cry. Well this was awkward. This was why he worked with machines.  _ Oh god, I messed this up, and it was going so well _ —

“It kind of makes my actual job sound cheap,” Kylo said when he recovered, but he still wasn’t meeting Hux’s eyes. “I’m a forensic psychologist.”

“How is that cheap?” Hux asked, thinking that just this once, he didn’t have to hide his bewilderment. 

“I don’t know,” Kylo admitted, “I’m just still processing your words, I suppose.”

Hux laughed, for the lack of ideas about what else to do in such a situation, and he took a gulp of his water, concentrated on swallowing it like his life depended on it. Kylo cleared his throat and chuckled too. 

“Sorry, I’m not usually such a mess around other people.” 

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Hux smiled and reached across the table to take Kylo’s hand in his own. It was incredibly intimate, and Hux was afraid of making things even more awkward, but something told him this was the right thing to do. He slipped his finger under the sleeve of Kylo’s shirt, running it over a vein protruding through Kylo’s skin. 

“Tell me something about your job,” he requested, his thumb fumbling with the button on the sleeve. 

“I work closely with the police,” Kylo started, his eyes flickering briefly to Hux’s hand before settling on his face. “I help them solve cases by creating profiles of the criminals or offer my advice on whether their suspect fits such a profile. Sometimes I talk people out of committing suicide.”

“That sounds very intense,” Hux pointed out. He had managed to open the button and was now rolling the sleeve up Kylo’s forearm, uncovering the tattoo. 

Kylo nodded. “It is. I get in this...headspace, when I talk to a suicidal person, and sometimes it’s difficult to pull back. It’s not how you’re supposed to work at all, really, but no one questions you if you have results.”

“Oh,” Hux mumbled, only because he didn’t exactly know what to say. 

“Sorry, ugh, I overshared, didn’t I?” Kylo ran his free hand through his hair.

“A little,” Hux admitted, “I don’t mind though. And I did ask after all.”

“I’m just… I love what I do, but I can’t stop it from destroying me.” Kylo sighed. “I used to be able to talk to my siblings about it, but they’re all over the world now, and it’s just not the same when you talk to them over Skype.”

“Can’t you talk to a therapist then? I guess they should assign you one.”

“They did, so that they could check up on me, but I can’t exactly admit malpractice if I want to keep my job.”

“That does seem like a problem,” Hux agreed. 

They were silent for several minutes during which Hux pushed Kylo’s sleeve up to his elbow, tracing the tattoo with his fingertips. It seemed like a random arrangement of snowflakes scattered all over Kylo’s skin, the black ink interspersed with birthmarks.

“Are these part of the whole tattoo?” Hux asked, thinking it should be safe to ask. 

“Yeah.” Kylo nodded. “It took ages to make.”

“I bet.”

“Do you have a tattoo?” 

“No. I wanted one when I was around twenty, but I never figured out what I wanted and I dropped it.” 

“That’s a shame,” Kylo said, “it would look great on your skin.”

Hux was sure he was turning red but he supposed he owed Kylo as much. 

“I have lots of freckles,” Hux pointed out, for some reason he didn’t know, “I cover those on my face but I have a lot of them.”

“Oh.” Kylo’s eyes sparkled. “I wanna see those.”

“I knew you’d say that.” Hux grinned. “Let’s go to your nice upstairs bedroom, shall we?” 

Kylo nodded, obviously surprised that Hux still wanted to go to bed with him.  _ As if you stopped being gorgeous just because you’re fucked up,  _ Hux thought. If anything, Kylo was more attractive now that he had a personality. Hux was doomed. 

They stood up and linked their fingers automatically. Kylo picked up his beer, still untouched, so Hux mimicked him by taking his glass of water. They left the kitchen and returned to the hall; Hux tried hard not to stare into the boxes there, trying to guess who the mysterious siblings were. The stairs creaked a little under their weight, and Hux hoped this was a fairy tale rather than a horror movie. Why he did so was a mystery to him — his mind tended to surprise him sometimes. 

“Okay, here we go,” Kylo said, “I still need to drop by some store and buy some bookcase or a shelf, I haven’t had the time yet. Sorry. I know I said my bedroom was nicer.”

He pushed open a rather ancient looking door, all with an oversized brass doorknob, and invited Hux in, flicking the overhead light on.

There were piles of books all over the floor: there was a system of paths between them to the important spots in the room, like the window, the bed, and the table, so Hux supposed they’d been there for a while. The bed was made, albeit messily, which Hux appreciated. There was a short sheer curtain covering the top quarter of the big window. Hux wondered, absent-mindedly, if the neighbours could see inside when Kylo changed. The table was laden with books, sheets of paper, and mugs, and there was an array of what Hux supposed were action figures at the edge of it. He found it endearing. A plant was wilting in the corner.

“Did your siblings take your bookcase away?” Hux asked, walking to a random pile of books. He picked the uppermost one and turned it over to study the cover. 

“I never really had one,” Kylo admitted, “I did have a shelf but it broke down, and there was a big bookcase in the living room but Shane took that one.”

“So you had your books all over the house,” Hux summarized. The book he was holding was an old looking novel from an author with, as Hux assumed, a Russian name. He’d never heard of that one, and it seemed like one of those books someone sold in a garage sale after their grandparents died. 

“Yeah. I only kept the most important ones for my work here.”

Hux meant to put the book down where he picked it up when he noticed the volume underneath it. 

“I have the exact same copy of  _ Crime and Punishment _ ,” Hux pointed out, “and three others, but this one is my favorite.”

“You like  _ Crime and Punishment _ ?” Kylo asked, excitement obvious in his voice. 

“One of my favorites,” Hux replied and picked up the book, setting the one he was holding down. “I started learning Russian just to be able to read the original, but I didn’t stick to it when I went to university. A shame. I’m still hoping to learn it, maybe when I retire.”

Kylo’s copy was well-loved. It fell open in Hux’s hands, and he read the section, recognizing it immediately. 

“That’s the most valid reason to learn Russian I’ve ever heard,” Kylo chuckled.

“I really only know the basics, especially now since I forgot so much, but I’ve used it a couple of times,” Hux said, fingers caressing the page. 

“I don’t have to ask you what your favorite part is, do I?” Kylo asked, looking over Hux’s shoulder.

“The same as yours,” Hux nodded.    
“It spoke to me so much when I first read it,” Kylo went on, “I was fourteen, my parents were either biting their heads off or away, I was angry, and I only wasn’t bullied because I was stronger than everyone else and had training in several types of martial arts. Everyone resented me or feared me. And then this book came along.”

“And told you you were Napoleon,” Hux finished. Kylo nodded with a small smile. 

“It was all I needed in that moment, even if it did lead me down a rather dark path. At that point though, I felt invincible. Raskolnikov didn’t manage to hold on to his theory and he crumbled, because he fell in love. That felt like something that could never happen to me, and therefore I knew that where he failed, I could succeed.”

“I was fifteen,” Hux chimed in, “I read it for school, almost by accident. I had to take a literature class because my stepmother was a writer, albeit a bad one, even if I never cared much for such classes. It always seemed like we were butchering the books, dissecting them and taking them apart, studying parts of them instead of admiring their beauty as a whole. Like watching a human heart without seeing the whole person. I was sick the day we were given the assignments for class and was therefore left with Dostoyevski, the guy whose name we had trouble spelling, while everyone else went for Steinbeck or Hemingway. I had half a mind not to read it, but I was never one to scamp school assignments. So I checked the book out of the library and started reading it, fully expecting to hate it.”

“What a lucky coincidence,” Kylo remarked. “I picked it on my own, when I was supposed to stay hidden while my mother dealt with some politicians or businessmen or whoever in our living room. We didn’t do that much living there, really, since she always had someone over. I was wandering around the library — it used to be my grandfather’s, and he had a lot of books, in many languages. The copy of  _ Crime and Punishment _ that he had was bound in red leather, with bold golden inscriptions. It caught my eye, so I picked it up and opened it.”

Hux smiled fondly at the book. They’d started the night with him finding Kylo physically desirable but the more he learnt about him, the less he saw him as a one night stand. 

“Come sit down,” Kylo said. Hux obeyed and they sat down side by side at the edge of the big bed, their shoulders touching. Hux studied the picture of Dostoyevski on the cover. 

“I was hooked by the time he went to the pub,” Hux continued his story, “I loved the details, the way I felt physically there, in the heat of the streets. And the way the streets aren’t really named most of the time, so that you know, consciously, that it’s taking place in Saint Petersburg but you can ignore it and suddenly it’s happening in your town.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask — are you from America? Because you sound convincingly American but sometimes your accent slips…” Kylo asked, suddenly, like he finally gathered courage now when Hux was talking about different places. “I didn’t want to sound like a creep and ask if you were British. I guess you’re asked that a lot.”

“I grew up in Ireland,” Hux replied, “Moved here for university, to spite my father, and because Oxford didn’t really offer the major I was interested in.”

“I didn’t ask you what you do, did I?” Kylo said, sounding unsure. 

“You didn’t,” Hux agreed, “want to guess?” 

“Hmm,” Kylo hummed, looking Hux up and down, as if he thought he was going to find the truth written somewhere on Hux’s body. “You said you had to take literature classes because of your stepmother, which means you’re not interested in humanistic fields. Your mind seems to be analytic, given how well you assessed me, but you didn’t know how to react to my...emotions, which leads me to think you don’t work with people. I’d say you’re a scientist.”

“Close,” Hux agreed, “but not exactly. I’m an engineer.” 

“That counts, right?” Kylo flashed an adorable smile at Hux.

“You’re cheating,” Hux pointed out, “I’m not saying that scientist and engineer are interchangeable just because you’re adorable and I want to kiss you so bad that I don’t know why I haven’t yet.”

Instead of answering, Kylo cupped Hux’s face with one hand — enormous, warm — and pulled him in for a kiss. It started off tender, innocent, but the second Hux laid a hand on Kylo’s chest, trying to unbutton his shirt, the teeth and tongue came, and Kylo was a hurricane sweeping Hux’s mind into a vortex. It was nothing like the kiss they shared back in the club, sweaty and hasty, with obnoxious noise surrounding them. This time, they were sitting on a bed, with no reason to hurry, the sounds of their kiss the only thing they could hear. Hux was growing interested, trying to work Kylo’s buttons open but they wouldn’t give way, too slippery for his shaky fingers. Kylo pulled away for a second, resting his forehead against Hux’s. 

“Let me see those freckles of yours,” Kylo whispered, pressing a kiss to the angle of Hux’s jaw. Hux gave up his fight against Kylo’s shirt and let himself be undressed, starting with his tee, a thin thing, too frivolous for anything but a night like this (a gift from Phasma, meant to mock him). Kylo wrapped his arms around Hux and steered him gently onto the bed, never breaking the kiss for more than a shaky inhale. Hux dropped the book and heard it slide down onto the ground. 

Kylo dominated the situation, his hands working so deftly, so adoringly that Hux forgot to protest against being the only one devoid of clothing. He curled his own hands in Kylo’s hair, never letting him go too far. He was all too happy to kick his jeans off, and by the time Kylo got to his briefs, he was already hard enough to pose an obstacle. Kylo yanked his underwear down with more force than necessary, and Hux forgot to feel offended.

“Oh, look at you,” Kylo breathed out, his eyes dark, “you’re my Russian winter.”

Hux laughed, which was probably not a very sexy thing — his laugh was ugly if it wasn’t controlled, and he certainly wasn’t controlling himself now. He could only hope he wouldn’t snort, but Kylo ruined any chance of that by sticking his chin up, looking off into a distance. Hux squirmed, tears prickling in his eyes as he laughed and laughed, unable to stop when Kylo joined him. 

Hux’s stomach hurt when he finally calmed down; Kylo was looking at him with soft admiration he didn’t deserve. 

“That was enlightening,” Kylo remarked when Hux caught his breath.

“It’s your own fault,” Hux retorted, “there was no way I could only politely chuckle at that, it was so cheesy.”

“I’m hurt,” Kylo said, “humiliated by this beautiful man who’s lying underneath me completely naked and dares laugh at my compliments.”

“Say that again,” Hux whispered, closing his eyes. “Say that you think I’m beautiful.”

For a brief moment, nothing happened, and Hux opened his eyes to see what was going on. Kylo planted a kiss on the side of Hux’s neck. “You’re beautiful.” Another one, to the dip above Hux’s sternum. “You’re gorgeous.” Kylo licked a trail down Hux’s chest. “You’re perfect.”

Hux sighed; his heart grew so much with every word of Kylo’s praise that he was afraid he’d explode. He’d never considered himself particularly desirable but in this moment, with Kylo’s mouth on him, he felt invincible. Kylo kissed his way over to Hux’s underbelly, stopping at the root of Hux’s cock.

“Do you want me to help you with that?” Kylo asked against Hux’s skin, trailing his fingers ever so gently up Hux’s thigh.

“Yes please,” Hux mumbled. Kylo’s demeanor changed; he straddled Hux’s thighs, holding him down, and rubbed his crotch, still in his black jeans, over Hux’s cock. He pressed his lips against Hux’s, his kisses so demanding Hux forgot to breathe. He wrapped his legs around Kylo’s waist, pressing himself closer. Kylo rammed him into the bed, forceful and so, so passionate, and Hux was left to wonder how intense proper sex with Kylo would be. Soon enough, he felt Kylo’s erection hard against his own. 

Hux was spiralling towards a hasty orgasm, digging his heels and fingers into Kylo’s back. He wished he could hold onto naked skin rather than fabric, but he couldn’t move, not with how perfect this position was. Hux moaned into Kylo’s mouth, his whole body tense as he reflexively arched his back, only to find resistance. Kylo was pinning him down, hot and heavy, and Hux came with a sudden epiphany.  _ This  _ was pleasure. This was what he’d been searching for without realizing. Being held so firmly he couldn’t move but feeling safe and secure in another’s arms. 

Hux’s grip on Kylo loosened as he rode out the aftershocks of his orgasm. Kylo took the opportunity and shifted to suck on Hux’s neck. He was still grinding against Hux, but he was obviously trying to go for Hux’s thigh instead of his cock not to overstimulate him. Hux fell in love with him a little more.

“Roll over, I’ll take care of you,” Hux mumbled once he caught his breath. Kylo stopped moving for a while, then did as Hux asked, reversing their positions. Hux sat on top of Kylo’s thighs and pushed his shirt up. The waist of Kylo’s jeans was unnecessarily high, and Hux almost wondered if it had some medical purpose since he couldn’t have bought that in a regular shop. Kylo made no indication as to how he should proceed, so Hux just pulled the zipper down, uncovering more snowflakes like those on Kylo’s forearms, until he finally revealed Kylo’s dark blue briefs, the outline of his hard cock obvious. Hux palmed it for a while before slipping his fingers under the waistband. Kylo hissed when Hux’s fingers brushed his bare skin, and he threw his head back. 

Hux moved his hand up and down Kylo’s cock, aware that it would not take long before Kylo came. He could just keep up the handjob — they were humping each other like teenagers, there was no need to be classy or refined — or he could surprise Kylo. The idea wasn’t born long before the deed, and Hux shifted a little to adjust his position. 

“What are you— oh, fuck,” Kylo breathed out when Hux pressed a kiss to the root of Kylo’s cock. He dragged his tongue up, slowly, his fingers still caressing the other side. He watched Kylo’s stomach work: his muscles quivered as he tried to breathe, the hundreds of snowflakes moving as if in an actual blizzard. Hux couldn’t wait to undress him and worship him fully. Kylo tangled his fingers in Hux’s hair, messing it up even more than it already was, pulling at it as he mumbled some incoherent instructions. Hux’s tongue reached the head and he licked the tip, tasting Kylo’s precome. He closed his fingers around the base of Kylo’s dick, his thumb mimicking the movements of his tongue.

“I’m gonna—” Kylo moaned, his fingers pulling at Hux’s hair, as if guiding Hux’s head away. Hux obeyed — there was no reason for him to show all of his aces at the first opportunity. Kylo grunted and came; Hux could feel the warmth of his come trickling down his chest. This was depraved, and left him feeling satisfied with himself. Kylo loosened his grip on Hux’s hair and Hux sat up again, watching Kylo calm down. 

“I’d say that wasn’t bad,” Hux pointed out. There was a stain on Kylo’s crumpled shirt — his own come, Hux realised. 

“You’re magic, gorgeous,” Kylo mumbled, his eyes still closed. Hux smiled, grateful for the physical exertion he could blame his flush on. 

“You’re filthy, gorgeous,” he mumbled back. Kylo looked at him then. 

“I am?” he raised an eyebrow, and sat up — God he was fit — to touch Hux’s collar bone. “And whose fault is that?”

“Are you going to punish me?” Hux smirked, leaving his lips parted. Kylo’s own were so close he wouldn’t even have to move to kiss him.

“Oh yes, in the cruelest way possible,” Kylo said and kissed Hux on the chin, wrapping his arms around him. “I’m going to kidnap you and make you take a shower with me while I come up with cheesy compliments to hear you laugh again.”

“You can’t possibly mean that.”

“Why? Do you not think me strong or determined enough?” 

“You can’t want to hear me laugh again. You’re just mocking me,” Hux explained with a frown. 

Kylo looked him in the eye. “Why would I do that?”

“My laugh is horrible. You were never supposed to hear that,” Hux explained. It hurt to be made to say that, like it wasn’t obvious.

“Who told you that?” Kylo asked, and he seemed genuinely upset. 

_ My father,  _ Hux thought, unwilling to say it out loud because it did sound ridiculous. His father also told him he was stupid and would never be good at anything, his father mocked him for the body that Kylo seemed to admire, and his father had been dead for several years. Unwilling still to rest his case, Hux just pursed his lips. 

“Come on, let’s wash up,” Kylo whispered, nuzzling Hux’s cheek,  _ appeasing  _ him. It was all too adorable when Hux wanted to stay mad. 

When he didn’t cooperate, Kylo started pushing himself to the edge of the bed, Hux still astride his thighs. It took Hux a while before he understood what was going on, and by the time he did, he was ready for round two. 

“Are you going to carry me?” he asked when Kylo finally laid his feet on the ground, moving his hands to support Hux’s ass.

“What else am I supposed to do when you’re being difficult?” Kylo asked, like it was the most obvious solution. He stood up and Hux quickly linked his ankles at the small of Kylo’s back, but it wasn’t necessary. Kylo carried him effortlessly, like he weighed nothing at all. 

The bathroom was several doors down the corridor. It was spacious and Hux was relieved to learn that it must have been renovated recently, unlike the rest of the house. There was a shower cubicle and a bathtub, which seemed like an unnecessary indulgence for one single bathroom, and two sinks. Kylo set Hux gently onto the ground, his hands running up Hux’s back until they came to rest of his narrow shoulders. Hux took that as an invitation and resumed his struggle against Kylo’s shirt. This time, when he wasn’t impatient and turned on, he could work the buttons open fairly quickly. As he continued, he revealed more and more of Kylo’s tattoo, until he saw what he supposed was the center of it. 

Hux moved to slip his hands under the shirt, rolling it up. Kylo complied by raising his arms so that Hux could pull the shirt off and drop it unceremoniously to the ground. Hux continued undressing Kylo before properly admiring the tattoo because there was enough imbalance between them, even without the difference in their state of undress. Finally satisfied, Hux turned his attention back to Kylo’s — impressive — inked chest. 

In the middle, covering Kylo’s heart, there was what appeared to be an epicentre of an explosion. It was masterfully done, despite the difficulty of the task, and there were bits of what Hux assumed where shreds of the exploded object. In the vicinity of the explosion, there was the fire that Hux first saw in the bar, and the furthest tips of the flames seemed to morph into the blizzard of tiny snowflakes that covered Kylo’s arms and stomach, a few stray ones even on his thighs. Hux took a few steps to look at Kylo’s back and he discovered a couple of flakes scattered between his shoulder blades and at his sides, covering his ribs. There was another tattoo on the small of Kylo’s back, obviously unrelated to the main one — a sword, lined above Kylo’s spine, and beneath it—

“Napoleon’s hat?” Hux asked, amused. He touched the blade of the sword with his index finger. The tattoo looked fairly old and definitely not as well done as the big one, leading Hux to believe it was a compulsive decision.

“I didn’t know what else to get,” Kylo shrugged, “we all have the sword and each of us was supposed to get something else to make the tattoo show that we’re united but still separate people. And Napoleon was what brought me to them after all.”

“Your siblings?” 

“Yeah.”

Hux didn’t inquire further — he was getting tired, and Kylo’s personal history was most likely darker than he felt himself capable of responding to properly at four am. He pressed a light kiss to Kylo’s shoulder. “Let’s take a shower.”

Kylo’s shower cubicle was not exactly intended for two people, especially not when one of them had Kylo’s impressive build, but Hux didn’t complain when Kylo cornered him and only yelped a little when his back hit the cold tiles. Kylo kissed the noise off his lips, letting the water run. 

They took their time washing each other, making soap the pretext to keep touching. Their lips hardly ever parted, the shower turning into a make out session more than anything else. Kylo held the shower head between their chests, water trickled down their fronts while they rubbed soap onto their backs. Hux was shivering slightly, his eyelids so heavy he doubted he would be able to open his eyes again. 

“You’re adorable when you’re trying not to fall asleep,” Kylo whispered. 

“Should I stop trying?” Hux mumbled, leaning onto Kylo. “I will. Hold me.”

Kylo laughed; Hux could feel it in the way his shoulders moved. 

“Let me just wash and dry you first, okay?” Kylo said and rinsed the soap off Hux’s back. He stopped the water and stepped out; Hux shivered some more, goosebumps rising on his skin as cool air hit it. Kylo threw a towel over his shoulders and made his way to a cabinet nearby. Hux stayed where he was, set on being pampered. The next thing he knew, there was something fluffy enveloping him, something that smelled faintly like Kylo. He didn’t open his eyes when Kylo rubbed him dry with the towel, relishing the feeling of being cared for. 

“You don’t happen to have a spare toothbrush, do you?” Hux mumbled. 

“I’m sorry. I can give you some mouthwash though.”

“Okay, that will do for tonight,” Hux drawled, “I’m too tired to properly care if I’m dirty.”

Kylo kissed his cheek. 

“Stop mocking me,” Hux protested feebly. 

“I’m merely expressing my genuine opinion that you’re adorable.”

They moved to the sink — Kylo to brush his teeth, Hux to half-heartedly rinse his mouth with mouthwash. With their grooming rituals performed to the bare minimum, Kylo swept Hux off his feet and carried him back into the bedroom, flicking the light off with his elbow. He laid Hux on the bed and was ready to drop down beside him. 

“Could I borrow some clothes?” Hux mumbled, opening his eyes for Kylo’s benefit. “I’m not used to sleeping naked.”

“I don’t think I have anything that would fit,” Kylo replied, “I was maybe fifteen the last time I was your size.”

“No need to make me feel inadequate. Just get me a shirt and some underwear, I’ll just sleep in it.”

Kylo turned the light on again and went to his wardrobe, spending some time staring into it as if somewhere deep inside there was a set of clothes in Hux’s size, just waiting for the opportunity to be used. Hux nearly fell asleep. 

“Come on,” Kylo said softly to wake him up. “I found something.” 

Hux put the clothes on without much interest. “Thank you,” he murmured. 

“You’re welcome.”

Hux was asleep before he gathered the courage to ask Kylo to spoon him. 

——

Hux woke up feeling warm and content, the day starting out just right. Sun was pouring in through the blinds, painting golden stripes over everything. Hux rolled onto his other side, seeking warmth. Kylo was sitting, back against the headboard, a book in hand.

“Morning,” Hux said, brushing his fingers against Kylo’s thigh. Kylo was naked and obviously quite content with that. Hux wondered whether he wasn’t still dreaming. 

“Good morning,” Kylo replied and set the book aside. “Did you sleep well?”

“Quite marvelously, thank you.”

Kylo lay down and Hux moved closer to him, slipping into his arms. They kissed and Hux was happy to find he still considered Kylo’s kisses the best he’d ever had, even when they were tainted with their morning breath. Kylo rolled Hux onto his back and moved his lips to Hux’s neck. Hux shifted a little to get more comfortable, his cock waking up faster than he did. 

Kylo kept nibbling at his skin while Hux tried to appear inconspicuous as he sought friction against Kylo’s leg. It was difficult though, for each movement elicited a response from the furniture.

“Your bed is such a cliche,” Hux muttered.

“And why is that?” asked Kylo with curiosity.

“It squeaks when you move,” Hux explained, “like in a porn.”

“Shame I don’t have close neighbors. What a waste.”

“We could open the window and scream very loudly,” Hux suggested.

“Are you a screamer?” Kylo asked, curious.

“I don’t know. No one’s made me scream yet but I’m still waiting.” 

“Let me try,” Kylo mumbled into Hux’s skin. His hand was resting on top of Hux’s hip, waiting, like a predator. Hux arched his back, brushing his belly against Kylo’s. 

“Try,” he whispered. He could feel Kylo’s grin against his neck, teeth where lips used to be. Kylo slipped his hand under Hux’s shirt, all the surplus fabric pooling in Hux’s armpits when Kylo’s fingers found Hux’s nipple. Hux gasped, his whole body tingling — he’d been half asleep just seconds earlier but it took one touch for him to wake. Kylo chuckled. 

“Do you have a preference?” Hux asked, unsuccessful in keeping himself in check to last long enough for them to get anywhere. It had really been too long, and Kylo was either very experienced or a natural talent, maybe a mix of both and—

“I like to be on the receiving end,” Kylo replied, pulling away a little to look at Hux, his hand finally stopping. Hux wanted him to start again; as embarrassing as it would be to come from it, it was too good to do without. 

“Excellent,” he whispered, reaching up to pull a strand of hair out of Kylo’s face. Pathetic. He was supposed to do something sexual, right? Something that would make Kylo feel as amazing as he felt—

“Are you nervous?” Kylo asked, with a soft smile. He moved his hand down to Hux’s navel, resting it there for comfort. 

“It’s just...you’re so amazing,” Hux breathed out, knowing he was turning red, “you intimidate me.”

“Awww,” Kylo cooed, “you’re amazing too. Trust me. You’re beautiful and I want you.”

Hux pulled Kylo in for a kiss — it felt like he might die of embarrassment right there and then if he didn’t. Kylo opened his mouth for him, enthusiastic, excited. Hux nudged him to roll on top of him. The pattern of their breathing changed when they rolled their hips together.

“You’re such a tease,” Kylo said in between kisses. Hux raised a corner of his mouth slightly, letting the praise sink in. He let his hands wander down Kylo’s back to his ass. He pulled Kylo’s asscheeks apart, slipping one finger between them, rubbing a circle around Kylo’s entrance. 

“Oh am I?” he asked.

“Yes,” Kylo nodded, spreading his legs more. It was just a game so far, not like Hux would try to enter him like this.

“I shall stop then,” Hux said, “I should probably inform you that I make for a very lazy bed fellow.”

“So I’m supposed to do all the work?” Kylo asked. “Prep myself. Fuck myself on your cock while you just lie here looking pretty?”

“Yes,” Hux agreed. It wasn’t wrong, per se — he was never quite expected to do anything from any of his previous partners, not that they’d ever wanted him to do anything but lie and take their cocks. This promised to be very exciting, and he didn’t want to risk screwing this up by fumbling. Kylo was beautiful and confident, and Hux didn’t doubt that he would make this memorable.

“You like to watch?” Kylo continued, the playful grin disappearing from his face. Oh, so they were serious now. Great.

“Well, who wouldn’t like to watch you?” Hux said. “Besides, you have all this muscle. You should use it — look at me, I’m a toothpick. You wouldn’t want to break me, would you?”

“Okay, toothpick,” Kylo rose onto his knees. He threw the covers away from them; there was nowhere to hide now. Hux’s mind slowed down when he took in the sight of Kylo, naked, muscles on display, cock filling without yet being fully hard. Anticipating. Yes, Hux definitely liked to watch. “Off with your clothes. I want to watch too.”

Hux merely lifted his arms up, waiting for Kylo to take his own shirt off of him, maybe brush his nipples again. Kylo did, playing with both of them until they were hard and then carelessly, cruelly pulling the shirt up and tossing it away. Hux whimpered. Maybe playing the passive toy was not his brightest idea.

“You know, you can still do some work,” Kylo teased him, one finger circling Hux’s belly button. Hux was tempted, but not enough. This seemed like an interesting exercise of will. 

“No thank you,” he replied, “I trust you will do everything to our mutual satisfaction.”

“Thank you for your trust.”

Kylo pulled his own briefs off Hux, the hem catching slightly on Hux’s growing erection. He tossed it aside and made his way to the nightstand by the bed. He pulled open a drawer and got out a bottle of lube, a package of condoms and — Hux’s eyes widened at the sight — a bright pink dildo. 

“I’m still here,” he muttered, feeling like Kylo was waiting for him to protest rather than being truly offended. He found the promise of seeing Kylo fucking himself with a dildo very exciting. 

“I know,” Kylo nodded without even looking at him as he placed all his supplies on the bed. Hux moved a little to his side of the bed to allow Kylo more space. Kylo coated his fingers with lube and settled on his back, thighs spread. He gave his cock a few strokes before his hand disappeared between his legs. He closed his eyes, lips parting slightly and for a while he lay nearly completely still. Hux watched his chest rise and fall, desperate to see more but knowing he couldn’t. 

It seemed like an eternity but it could have realistically only been a few minutes before Kylo’s body started responding. A twitch, changed breathing, an arch of his back. Hux took in every second of it, feeling like he’s never needed his eyes more than now. 

All of a sudden, Kylo turned over onto his stomach. He rose onto his knees, his face turned towards Hux, half obscured by the soft mattress he pressed it into. Hux could see Kylo’s wrist moving, his slicked fingers opening him up. He whimpered, for Kylo’s benefit and because he felt like it, and Kylo opened the eye that Hux could see, his gaze intense.

“Gorgeous,” Hux said, his voice a little hoarse. Kylo moaned and pulled his fingers out. Before Hux could hope that maybe this was it, that he would be deemed ready to use, Kylo had the dildo in his other hand. He coated the tip of the thing with the residue lube on his fingers and pressed it inside him, a low growl coming out of his mouth. Hux’s head was spinning, his cock hard and leaking precome. He wanted to come up with something else to say, something to convince Kylo to stop playing around with toys, but his mind was blank, supplying him with nothing but incoherent desire. 

“Please,” he tried, reaching his fingers towards Kylo. Kylo arched his back with a sigh, and for a horrible moment Hux thought he came without Hux’s participation, and that he’d laugh at him for being dumb and lazy. But the moment passed and Kylo pulled the dildo out, tossing it onto the bed — filthy, reckless — and he caressed Hux’s outstretched hand with his slicked fingers. 

“Aww, someone is impatient,” Kylo cooed and rose onto his knees again. Hux closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing, willing his body to last. The touch on his palm went away and reappeared on his cock. He opened his eyes just in time to see Kylo spread some more lube onto the condom. Good, at least he didn’t come from that.

“God, you’re perfect,” Hux breathed out and Kylo grinned, positioning himself to sit on Hux’s dick. Kylo stared directly at him and Hux made himself hold eye-contact, considering this a battle of wills. A battle he lost the second Kylo took him in one fluid motion, not stopping until he sat on Hux’s thighs. 

Hux moaned, a half-coherent curse forming on his lips, and then Kylo moved again, and he was lost, doomed, hopeless. This was what sex was supposed to be about. The reason why it was better with someone else than the arguably faster and easier wank in his own bedroom. Kylo was unforgiving, his pace hard and fast, and Hux was limited to gripping the sheets and moaning. Kylo put a hand in the middle of Hux’s chest, pinning him down. This way, Hux couldn’t move much, his fingers curling, toes digging into the mattress. 

Kylo felt so good that Hux barely remembered to scream when he came. He was too breathless and caught up in pleasure for it to be genuine, but he had to scream for Kylo and this uptight neighborhood. His body was pulled so taut he was afraid he was hurting himself, and the high wasn’t going away, and Kylo kept riding him, urgent and demanding. Hux wished to help him fall over the edge but he could barely move, sweat pooling on his brow. 

Hux’s mind was half blank, feeling so much pleasure it was a little painful, but the good kind of painful, the kind that made him believe he might come again in the span of mere minutes. Kylo was still on top of him but gone was the calculating tease — the pace was broken and Kylo was writhing on Hux’s cock, chasing pleasure but denying himself orgasm. Hux watched him through half-lidded eyes, mesmerized by the control Kylo had over his body. 

“Let go,” Hux mumbled, “for me.”

Kylo moaned and came, coating Hux’s belly with come. He stopped moving, sitting still on Hux’s thighs, eyes closed. He was breathing heavily and his skin glistened with sweat — Hux felt oddly proud about that, even if he did absolutely nothing to achieve it. 

“If I knew you were a sex god, I never would have agreed to sleep with you,” Hux quipped. Kylo laughed and slipped off Hux’s cock, lying down on his back. 

“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” Kylo whispered, “what’s a god without his worshipper?” 

Hux was about to reply but was interrupted by a rumble from Kylo’s stomach. 

“Did you hear that? You wore me out,” Kylo said. “What do you want for breakfast?”

“Oh, don’t worry about me, I’m not that used to eating right after I wake up and you probably wouldn’t have anything I can actually process.”

“What do you mean?” 

“I’m lactose intolerant and allergic to gluten, nuts—”

“But you seemed to take the nuts so well!” Kylo interrupted Hux. Hux burst out into an ugly fit of laughter.

“Oh my god. That’s the worst pun I’ve ever heard,” he said once he was composed enough to speak. 

“Are eggs okay?” Kylo asked.

“I thought you had cucumber, mustard and the cheese you left out of the fridge,” Hux pointed out.

“And cornflakes. I’ll swing by the store,” Kylo explained, “in sweatpants and with bed hair.” 

“You’ll look better than anyone else there,” Hux said.

“That’s not really much of an accomplishment, trust me. My neighbors are all very conventionally attractive. It’s a nightmare.”

“You’re a dummy,” Hux signed. 

“Eggs then?” Kylo asked.

“Eggs are okay,” Hux conceded. 

“I’ll be right back,” Kylo said and kissed Hux on the temple. He put on sweatpants, as promised, and a pair of socks and disappeared through the door. Hux assumed Kylo would put on a jacket too. 

Hux went to the bathroom to dispose of the condom and perform basic morning hygiene. When he came back to the bedroom to put on some clothing, he nearly stepped on his jeans. He picked up his phone; there were several messages from Phasma, the last two in all caps. He opened the conversation.

01:19 

_ You mean like  _ (there were several emojis, one of a tongue, some drops — of  _ what _ Hux could only guess — and an eggplant.)

02:37 

_ How was it? _

04:02 

_ You can’t still be fucking, you don’t have the stamina for that _

08:15

_ TALK TO ME YOU SHITHEAD _

08:57

_ IF YOU DON’T TEXT ME BACK BEFORE 10 I’M CALLING THE COPS _

Hux rolled his eyes. Sometimes he wondered how old Phasma really was; she acted like a teenager more often than not. Or like  _ he _ was a teenager. Wasn’t it his own business if he was picked up at a bar by a serial killer and got murdered? And hadn’t she made him go there in the first place? Hux had half a mind to just ignore her, but she wasn’t one for empty threats. If she said she’d call the cops, she probably would, and the last thing Hux wanted was explaining to an officer that his co-worker was just a tad bit crazy. Or better still, she might come with them, and kick Hux’s ass herself.

_ I’m fine _

He sent first. 

_ You don’t need to babysit me. I’m an adult. _

Before he could send another text telling her to mind her own business, she replied. 

_ You can’t just disappear like that _

Hux tossed his phone aside, not letting her sour his day any further. He wasn’t going to tell her about Kylo, and he was sure she’d ask. She didn’t deserve Kylo, Kylo was Hux’s little secret, his little dream come true. Hux put on the clothes he slept in, hoping he wasn’t too bold. But his own clothes were filthy and he wasn’t going to put them on until it was necessary. He hoped it would be a while, since Kylo asked him to stay for breakfast. Hux tried not to read too much into it and feel hopeful that he was desired, since Kylo could just be polite. 

Hux descended the stairs and made his way to the kitchen. It was still shabby and would benefit from renovation but Hux found it endearing now. He sat down on Kylo’s chair, trying to imagine him painting it: hair pulled up in a messy bun, wearing a tight white tank top, his arms covered in streaks of paint.

“Well, that escalated quickly,” Hux said to himself. He looked out of glass window — it led outside to the garden. There were birds sitting in a tree, chirping happily. The garden wasn’t meticulously kept but it wasn’t abandoned either; Hux wondered if Kylo took care of it himself. 

The front door opened before he could come up with another exaggerated fantasy of a scantily clad Kylo. 

“Hey honey, I’m home,” Kylo called. Hux felt himself blush — it was so stupid of him, Kylo said it merely in jest. After a while Kylo appeared — shirtless — in the kitchen, holding a paper bag. 

“Hey.”

“So I bought eggs.” Kylo turned to the kitchen counter and pulled out two cartons of eggs. Hux supposed they could have done with one, but god knew how much Kylo had to eat to feed that body of his. “Some orange juice — I hope you can drink that, it’s supposed to be very organic and ethical, whatever that means — gluten-free bread, and I got you a toothbrush.”

“You didn’t have to bother,” Hux said, standing up to inspect the bread. 

“I hope it’s a good one,” Kylo said, scratching the back of his neck nervously, “this one soccer mom said it is but I don’t know.”

“It’s a good brand,” Hux assured him, “and expensive. You really shouldn’t have.”

“Oh nonsense,” Kylo said but he smiled in relief. “I wouldn’t want you to starve.”

Hux kissed Kylo on the cheek, overcome with emotion. “Thank you.”

“Oh, hold on, my cat’s here,” Kylo said. “I’ve got to feed him or he’ll be a huge asshole.”

“You have a cat?” Hux asked, looking around, wondering if he could have missed a cat wandering around. 

“Technically he’s a stray, I just feed him and he lets me pet him sometimes,” Kylo explained and bent down to get something from the cupboard. Hux looked out of the door, and there he was: the biggest cat Hux had ever seen.

“Are you entirely certain it’s a cat?” he asked. The animal was missing a big part of his ear, its dark grey fur fluffy and clean. 

“No.” Kylo shrugged. “For all I know, he’s a mutant and will one day turn into his true form and take over the Earth. I’m hoping he’ll let me be important in his new order if I feed him now.”

Hux laughed. Kylo opened a can of cat food, followed closely by a second one. The cat was flapping his tail from side to side, his eyes shooting daggers at Hux.

“Okay, here we go,” Kylo said, opening the door. He dropped the contents of the cans into a bowl by the wall, the cat lapping it up hungrily. Hux shivered a little in the cold air. 

“Does he have a name?” he asked.

“Not really. He hasn’t told me, and I didn’t want to be presumptuous and give him one.”

“Fair enough.” Hux nodded, like it was general practice. The cat stopped feeding and looked at Hux. He squatted, getting on the cat’s level. It came closer to him, wary. Hux reached his hand forward, slowly, until he felt the fur between the cat’s ears.

“Good boy, good boy,” Hux cooed, rubbing the skin beneath the cat’s jaw. 

“Whoa. I think I’ll have to marry you,” Kylo pointed out.

Hux choked on his own spit which annoyed the cat and it ran back to its bowl.

“What?” he asked, wondering if he misheard.

“He likes you,” Kylo said, “he’s never let someone pet him the first time he saw them. That’s got to be a sign.”

“Maybe I’m just good with cats.”

“You have one?”

Hux nodded. “Her name’s Millicent. She’s pedigree but someone dropped her off on the step of an animal shelter. She’s gone through some shit.”

“I’m sure she’s a proper lady.”

“Oh yeah,” Hux chuckled, “like those ladies who hide a knife in their corsets and poison in their heels.”

Kylo chuckled then. The cat eyed Hux again, obviously considering asking for more petting. 

“How do you like your eggs?” Kylo asked.

“I don’t really have a preference. Just do whatever you like.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” The cat headbutted Hux’s hand and he smiled as he ran his hand through its sumptuous fur. He supposed it was a big reason why the cat seemed so enormous. Hux supposed it was a Maine coon, or maybe an offspring of one, but people didn’t just let Maine coons run about; they were too expensive for that. 

“So,” Kylo asked, over the sizzling of oil on a pan, “you have somewhere to be on this fine Saturday morning?”

“Not really,” Hux replied, scratching the cat’s belly. He supposed Kylo made up the story of it being horrible to people — the cat was a sweetheart, despite its size, and there was no way a mistrustful cat would get on its back like this. Hux was touched by the lie. 

“Will you accept the invitation to spend it with me then?”

Hux smiled, even if Kylo couldn’t see it. 

“With pleasure.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a little out of my usual range of fics so I'd doubly appreciate any comments on this! Thank you!   
> Many thanks to [bioticnerfherder](https://twitter.com/biotcnerfherder) for betaing this.  
> Come and have a chat with me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/EllstraH) or [tumblr](http://ellstra.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
